


The Contract

by PotatoesAreAwesome



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Bisexual Mutou Yuugi, Dubious Consent, Exploitation, If Atem hadn’t left this would totally be an Atem/Yugi/Seto sandwich, Kaiba Seto Needs a Hug, M/M, Past Yugi/Tea, Possessive Kaiba Seto, Prideshipping, Puzzleshipping, Slow Burn, Smut, Switching, Top Kaiba Seto, Top Mutou Yuugi, rivalshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:20:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24969592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotatoesAreAwesome/pseuds/PotatoesAreAwesome
Summary: This work is inspired by Noxious Eggplant for turning me into a Rivalshipper! *Gasps* I know, I can't believe it either. I couldn't find many Kaiba/Yugi stories out there, so I felt like I had to add something to the collection.When Kaiba returned to Domino, he didn't expect to run into Yugi again. Desperate for cash and still hurting from the loss of Atem, they make a contract of sorts. One that will change the dynamic between them forever.
Relationships: (Main), (past), (unexplored one-sided), Atem/Kaiba Seto, Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Mutou Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 19
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Noxious_Eggplant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noxious_Eggplant/gifts).



The night was warm. He padded down the street, past the twinkling streetlights and over to the neon signs flashing pink, blue and yellow. The ground hummed: heavy bass pouring from inside the club as party-goers mingled by the door buzzing with energy and excitement.

Smiling, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Tonight he would forget. He’d fill the hole in his heart with something else and avoid looking in the mirror again. Garnet eyes peeling away his veneer of happiness, would only glare back accusingly, disappointed with him for what he’d become.

But that was tomorrow’s problem. Tonight, he hung his guilt with the stars and shook off the confines of what everyone else wanted him to be.

Tonight, he was free.

___________

Across the city in a large, empty meeting room, Seto Kaiba finished up the notes from his last meeting and scrubbed his face with his hands. His first day back in the Domino office had been exhausting.

Two years he’d been away setting up a London branch. And in that time, the main office suffered a heavy loss of profits. He didn't want to come back here, but it was necessary. He needed to fix the mess they’d made in his absence.

He had half a mind to let it crumble after today though.

Being here left a bitter taste in his mouth - even on an average day. But after a terrible one, it was more like acid burning a hole through his stomach.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and the name on the screen drew a relieved sigh from the rigid CEO.

“Soooo, how did it go?” his brother’s voice chirped on the other end.

“I’m surrounded by idiots,” Seto grumbled pressing his lips into a thin, hard line. 

Mobuka’s laugh chimed down the phone. “Are we at stage four: fire everyone and start again?”

“I’m almost at stage five: burn it to the ground and rebuild.”

His brother made a pitying sound.

“I could come back and help out during Easter break. Or do you think you’ll be back by then?”

“No," he grunted. The thought of staying here another three weeks made him shudder. "I’ll be home sooner than that.”

“Are you sure?”

The doubt in his brother’s tone made him sour.

“You know I can’t stand this city anymore. I want to just get his done,” he muttered, rubbing his temples to ease the tension behind his eyes. 

There was nothing left for him in Domino. The city was as colourless as the black sky in the absence of his rival’s fire.

“Okay, brother." Mobuka’s voice softened sympathetically. "If anyone can do it, I know it’s you.”

The ghost of a smile touched his lips. “We’ll speak again soon.”

The urge to leave pricked beneath his skin after the call.

He needed a drink.

Grabbing his coat, Seto closed the glass door to the meeting room with a soft click. 

The office wasn’t too far away from the central nightlife. A twenty-minute walk at most. If he had to stay in this Godforsaken city for a few more weeks, he needed to find himself a decent distraction.

A brisk walk from the large, office buildings found him outside an overcrowded bar.

Security let him straight through, and people seemed to give him a wide berth when he entered. Whether that was because they recognised him or because he glared at the sweaty tangle of bodies until they moved the hell out of the way, it was hard to tell.

Coloured lights flickered around the room and music pounded in his ears. 

It was a Friday night.

People in hot pants and glitter danced with all the enthusiasm of the weekend, happy to be swallowed by the shifting mass of the crowd. 

He steeled his resolve, striding over to the woman behind the bar with thick, curly hair. 

“You lost darlin’?” she drawled, looking pointedly at his turtle neck.

Five minutes.

He’d give this place five minutes to change his mind before he walked.

Scowling lazily, he sat down on the cheap, plastic stool and bit out an order for a whiskey sour. 

It had been a rough day.

He knew his attire didn’t exactly fit in, but he didn’t need a bartender mocking his favourite cashmere jumper of all things.

Turning away in disdain, regret settled into his stomach like an old friend. 

Coming here might've been a mistake.

He would’ve been better calling an escort service. At least then he wouldn’t need to make horrendous small talk.

Turning back to the bar, he found his drink already in front of him as someone slipped into the seat next to his.

“Hello there, blue-eyes.”

Seto flicked a glance over the average-looking brunette and scoffed.

“Get lost.”

Plain clothes. Boring haircut. Maybe it wasn’t fair to compare others to his old rival, but everyone looked so dull in comparison to the exotic Egyptian.

He couldn't find anyone to ignite that same fire inside him. That hunger that crawled desperately under his skin until he couldn’t sleep, too consumed with analysing every little detail to think up new ways to surprise him in a duel.

He'd realised too late he'd been infatuated with the spirit. Maybe even in love with him.

It was pointless now, though. 

He'd never been good at understanding things like feelings. 

The stranger opened his mouth to say more, but Seto glared, and he promptly snapped his lips shut, hurrying back to the shadows with a put-out frown.

Seto’s lips quirked into his drink and swallowed, slamming his glass down as the whiskey burned the back of his throat.

He wasn’t drunk or desperate enough to tolerate bad pick-up lines.

Gesturing for another, he glanced across the ocean of people on the dance floor and a wild flash of blonde bangs caught his attention.

He nearly choked.

It couldn’t be.

It disappeared between the waves of people.

His pulse raced and something akin to desperation gripped his throat, as he scanned the crowd again.

The sight had vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Excellent. Now he was hallucinating.

It really _had_ been a long day.

Just as Seto signalled for one final drink, he saw it again.

There.

Between the sea of bodies, the same small, familiar form.

More toned than he remembered, but definitely him with kohl-lined eyes and softer curves than his former counterpart.

It was like being sucker-punched in the gut.

He looked more like him now with his confident grace and lilting, little smirk.

It had been hard before, when he’d returned from his final duel with Atem and realised his true feelings. But now . . .

He felt his mouth go dry.

Almost as if he could feel eyes on him, Yugi looked up, his violet eyes practically glowing under the coloured lights.

A strobe light flickered.

Everything looked like it was moving in slow motion when he walked over.

Or maybe that was just his imagination.

He held his breath.

One of the bartenders lined up three shots with salt and lime wedges, and Yugi hopped onto the vacant stool beside him. 

“Thanks, Ezra,” he smiled and his entire face lit up like the Goddamned sun,

“Ah, anything for my favourite customer,” the tall bartender blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Is this what the King of Games does now?” he interrupted, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he recovered from his shock. “Spends so much time in clubs he’s considered a regular?”

Violet eyes flickered at the nickname, and the former duelist licked the salt from his hand, downing a shot before sucking on a lime wedge.

“Kaiba,” he murmured in a sticky, wet voice. “It’s nice to see you again, as always.”

On anyone else it would’ve sounded sarcastic, but somehow Yugi made it seem polite.

“Tequila?”

Seto turned his nose away from the overpowering smell. “I’m not drinking that low-quality drivel.”

Yugi’s eyes slid from him with a smirk and licked his hand again.

A few pairs of eyes looked over, tracing the movements of his tongue with interest.

It unsettled him to realise Yugi drew in a lot of these lingering looks.

Probably because he was still wearing that damned leather collar buckled around his neck like some kind of pet. 

The former duelist had the same edgy style he’d always had, wearing tight black jeans like it was a second skin. His signature belt looped loosely across his waist, and the white hooded top he wore was sleeveless with a band printed on the front in black.

Downing another shot, Yugi swayed a little, closing his eyes.

He looked smaller with them shut like that. And when spoke again, his voice didn’t match his smile. He sounded drained. Resigned. Not at all like the Yugi he remembered.

“What are you doing here Kaiba?”

“I came to see if you’d suddenly developed a sense of fashion, but apparently, you’re a lost cause,” he quipped without really thinking.

Much to his surprise, Yugi chuckled, peering lazily through lowered lids at him. His laugh was rich and warm in his ears. Not as deep as the Pharaoh’s, but close enough that Seto found himself wanting to hear it again.

“I could say the same about your personality,” he retorted. An infuriating little smirk tugged the corners of his mouth. He seemed so unlike Yugi, that Seto took a full 30 seconds to recover, assuring himself that this was Yugi and not the smaller male’s counterpart inhabiting his body.

An impish grin made its way onto his face while he sat there dumbfounded.

“Do you want to dance?”

“Does it look like I dance?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“No.” Another lopsided smirk. “But there’s a first time for everything.”

“There’s that optimism I remembered,” he grumbled sardonically, feeling a strange pull in his stomach when Yugi laughed again.

“Suit yourself,” he grinned, shrugging.

It was an odd thing to see someone he'd once considered his rival dance. Yugi hips rolled to the music, swaying hypnotically as he relaxed into the beat. Seto couldn’t take his eyes off the unusual sight, drawn to the soft lines of his body.

Hands glided up his sides as two men sidled over and sandwiched him between them, pressing the bulk of their bodies against him until they dwarfed the smaller male completely.

With folded arms, he watched Yugi carefully, searching for any signs of distress. The way they rubbed and ground together was obscene. It was practically fucking. But rather than looking for help, Yugi snaked his arms around one of the men and let him kiss his neck.

He looked so much like Atem there with his smug smirk and intense gaze, that Seto felt a deep wave of possession roil over him. He glared at the two guys who dared put their hands on his rival and gulped another swig of whiskey, gripping the glass in his hand so hard it started to crack. 

With his drink in hand, he pushed through the crowd, not caring if he stepped on anyone’s toes. He snatched Yugi by the wrist, growling.

“You’re coming with me,” he squeezed, yanking roughly until the former duelist was by his side. 

Violet eyes widened in surprise, and he pulled him away feeling silent curiosity burn a hole through the back of his head as he led them to a quiet corner of the club.

When he finally had him alone, he fell silent, not knowing what to say. All he really wanted to do was to shake him by the shoulders and force an explanation out of him, but that hardly seemed appropriate for their reunion.

Yugi leaned against the dark wall when he didn't speak, crossing his arms and sighing. “You’re not going to let me leave with anyone tonight, are you?”

He baulked at the idea, tension twisting in his gut when he thought about what they’d do to him.

What he’d let them do.

How many hands had traced his hips already?

He was certain the Pharaoh wouldn’t approve. Yugi’s body had been his once for a while. How could he just give himself away like that?

“What would _he_ say if I let you go?”

Violet eyes glared bright with irritation. “He doesn’t get a say anymore because he’s . not . here.”

Seto stared down at him, bewildered. He’d never seen Yugi look so hostile before: harsh brows pinched together into a severe frown. tI was a look previously reserved for the Pharaoh’s use alone. Seeing it on Yugi was like looking at a ghost.

It unnerved him. 

Suddenly, the thought of letting those two clowns taking him home made Seto want to go back and twist both their arms until they gave way with a sickening crack. Just imagining their satisfying cries sent shivers down his spine. And with a cool, simmering sort of rage, he scanned the crowd, searching for them again.

If Yugi wouldn’t listen, he’d make sure no one looked at him inappropriately, let alone touched the former King of Games.

Studying his face, Yugi dropped his glare and pushed off the wall, a determined look in his eyes. “Fine – you win. Let’s go.”

He nodded once, still tense as he reached for the phone in his pocket. “I’ll call you a ride.”

“No.” Yugi grabbed him by the coat collar. “You’ll call _us_ a ride.”

Feeling light-headed, he pulled back breathless. “Quit messing around.”

“I’m not messing around.” Yugi’s face was so serious he had a hard time swallowing.

“Don’t look like that,” he snorted. “I’m not blind; I’ve seen you watching. And I _know_ what he was to you.”

Yugi took a deep breath.

“You get one night,” he warned looking mildly disgusted with himself as he took the whiskey right out of his hand and downed it in one long gulp.

Seto sneered. Like he wanted to go home with that second-rate brat anyway. “Don’t be so full of yourself, Yugi. What makes you think I would even consider - ” But before he could finish his sentence, lips captured him in a soft, whiskey kiss.

Yugi’s tongue swirled inside his mouth: warm and forceful, and from this angle, it was all too easy to pretend.

In his mind, he was with someone else. Someone who brought fire to his veins and made all good sense go out the window. It took him less than a second to kiss back, slamming Yugi against the wall.

When they pulled apart, his chest heaved and violet eyes danced with playful mischief. “Care to say that again, Kaiba?”

Growling, he pinned both wrists above his head and kissed Yugi’s neck, biting and sucking his way down. Gods he smelled amazing. The deep little groans he made went straight to his cock, and he pulled back frustrated with himself when he met Yugi’s self-satisfied smirk.

His heart lurched at the sight.

He knew it wasn’t him. But he’d wanted this for so long that the itch beneath his skin was difficult to ignore.

It was almost too good to be true.

“What exactly do you get out of this?” he asked, suspicious.

“I’m going home with someone tonight,” Yugi shrugged. “If you insist on intervening, it might as well be you.”

Going home with someone who wants to think about someone else while they’re fucking you sounded awfully self-destructive. The sensible part of his brain wanted to tell him that – insist that this was a bad idea. But he wasn’t listening to the small, rational voice inside his head. All his good sense had rushed south with his blood, and he hated the way his treacherous dick twitched with interest, aching inside his pants.

“I just have one request.”

In that moment, Seto was ready to give up anything to receive this gift.

Yugi looked him dead in the eye and crossed his arms with a calm air of nonchalance. “You must call me Aibou,” he ordered in a tone that was firm and resolute.

It shifted something inside his brain and things clicked together, like the pieces of a puzzle.

Yugi loved him too.

His chest ached, cracking as he swallowed away his shock.

Of course he did. Yugi had shared a body with him once. It made sense that he’d feel that way about him. A hateful jealousy needled inside him. He wondered if his feelings had ever been returned. If the Pharaoh had fallen in love with him, while he’d been too stupid to realise his own feelings. He knew he never stood a chance now. Even if he'd stayed, it would have been Yugi. It was always Yugi. He was the one person he cared about most in this world.

A hand cupped his cheek and he looked down to meet Yugi’s miserable gaze.

Yugi understood.

He could see the hurt swirling behind that guarded look and the beginnings of doubt began to creep in.

Was it sympathy that spurred him to make this offer?

He didn’t need Yugi’s charity. He was perfectly fine on his own.

He meant to refuse.

He swears he did.

But when he opened his mouth, it had something else in mind.

“Fine.” He found himself saying.

He took Yugi’s hand. “Let’s get out of here then.”

He couldn’t call him Aibou until after they'd rolled apart. It would’ve shattered the illusion. He never did aftercare, but he stroked his hair, whispering into his ear until he fell asleep as part of his end of the bargain. Truthfully, he didn’t mind Yugi’s warm back snuggled against him anyway. It was easy to pretend in this position.

He drifted off with thoughts that the person facing the other side had more blonde in his hair and garnet eyes that could pierce into his very soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although I glossed over the smut here, make no mistake, this will be explicit later on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's nice to see a positive first response to this story idea. I hope you guys enjoy the next instalment just as much.

Yugi woke up early the next morning with a start.

He wasn’t in his own bed.

Something warm and firm pressed up against his back, and he grimaced trying to piece together the foggiest parts of his memory from last night.

Oh no.

His stomach sank.

Oh Gods no.

Finding his phone on the bedside table, he checked the time, guilt gnawing at his insides.

He’d forgotten his promise to help Grandpa.

He was officially the worst grandson ever.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to keep his breathing shallow and even, ignoring the hot burn of embarrassment as he rolled away from the other body.

Of all the stupid things he’d done, this was by far the stupidest.

He risked a glance behind him and saw Kaiba’s handsome face sleeping peacefully against the pillow.

He looked quite innocent lying there without the usual frown marring his features.

Yugi muffled a groan into the crook of his arm.

This had to be one of the most surreal moments in his life.

And that was really saying something.

Surely, the eldest Kaiba didn’t just go into clubs and allow mere mortals to fall asleep next to him.

Why didn’t he kick him out?

He couldn’t have changed that much these past few years.

Yugi’s eyes travelled down the defined outline beside him, and his body reacted despite his mind pleading with him not to.

Prior to their night together, Yugi hadn’t noticed all the appealing qualities of Kaiba’s body. Now they seemed impossible to forget.

He lifted the covers and hastily dropped them back down again, swallowing a large, dry gulp.

Okay. . .

It was officially time to leave.

Slipping carefully from the sheets, he crouched on the floor, trying desperately not to have a mini panic attack.

Getting caught naked by Kaiba, while trying to sneak out after a one-night-stand, seemed like something from one of his worst nightmares.

He crept quietly along the carpet on his hands and knees, gathering up his things.

This was exactly why he didn’t do the whole sleep-over thing.

Glancing over his shoulder every six seconds, his heart beat wildly inside his chest like a jackrabbit.

Please don’t wake up.

Please don’t wake up.

He stretched in front of the door, fingers trembling against the handle when the rustle of sheets drew his attention towards the bed.

Yugi let out a faint gasp, watching wide-eyed as Kaiba rolled over, facing away from him.

His heart soared.  
  
He slipped through the open door, diving at the chance for freedom, and in that moment, promised himself he’d never get stuck in such a predicament ever again.

___________

A week later, Seto slammed his limo door shut and strode up the red-carpet entrance to the building, scowling at the paparazzi who flashed cameras in his face.

No one ignored Seto Kaiba.

But Yugi seemed to be doing his damned hardest to try.

Despite waking up to cold sheets, Seto hadn’t minded that Yugi ducked out on him early the morning after. In fact, he’d felt pleasantly boneless, stretching languidly in his large, empty bed.

Being with Yugi had been exactly how he’d imagined it with Atem.

He’d pictured his rival’s face every time he pounded into him: toes curled from the sound of the guttural moans he tore from his lips.

It was good that Yugi didn’t ruin the memory with an awkward goodbye.

It helped preserve the illusion he’d been with someone else that night.

Seto would’ve been quite happy to pretend that nothing ever happened between them in the first place.

With the fantasy out of his system, he thought he might finally move on with his life.

He might finally let go.

That was until Yugi ignored him at the market on Sunday.

The brat didn’t even make eye contact as he walked by with his basket full of shopping.

It was like Seto was invisible.

Like he didn’t even exist at all.

And the CEO of Kaiba Corp wasn’t used to being ignored.

Especially not by Yugi who was nice to pretty much everyone. 

They’d always had a certain awareness of each other.

He realised he needed that.

He needed to be acknowledged by Yugi.

It was pathetic when he thought about it really. But for some reason, he despised being ignored by him.

It wasn’t like he was some cheap lay to be embarrassed about. They meant _something_ to each other damnit.

Not quite friends, but certainly more than acquaintances. 

He’d been too surprised at the time to do anything and pushed all thoughts of the former duelist out of his head, determined not to think about it.

Except he couldn’t get the image of Yugi walking past him out of his head.

It reminded him of someone else who’d left his life all too soon.

By Wednesday, he'd caved enough to ask one of his contacts to get Yugi’s number for him.

 **Stop being stupid,** he typed into his phone after pacing around for over an hour debating what to send. 

Of course he received no reply.

So when he found out Yugi would be here tonight, Seto made a sizable donation to the children’s hospice in return for a ticket to their sold-out event.

Yugi wouldn’t back out of a charity function like this.

He’d held the title King of Games for so long he was considered a celebrity in his own right; his attendance helped drive ticket sales.

Excited chatter broke out online when they revealed he'd be attending, and the media whipped up an even bigger storm when the news leaked that Seto would be there too.

He wondered if the planners intentionally revealed that tidbit of information. Something to increase the publicity of their event.

They’d certainly gone all out with their planning.

The room inside was decorated with an arcade-style theme using photobooths and games set up away from the tables.

Grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Seto sat down, looking for Yugi’s dual-coloured hair.

“Excuse me." A woman in a long, red dress approached him. "Is this seat taken?” 

Her breasts squeezed out the top like two tightly packed melons in a crate, and she gave him a coy smile, oblivious to Seto's dark, unimpressed look.

“You’re Seto Kaiba, right?” She shook his hand. “I’m Rei – the event manager. On behalf of Domino’s children’s hospice, I want to thank you for your kind donation.”

He grunted gruffly in response. 

“Oh?" she laughed. "They never told me you were so modest.”

Possessive, little fingers wrapped playfully around the arm of his suit.

Kind?

. . . Modest?

He stared at her bizarrely.

Clearly, this woman hadn’t heard of him at all.

By the entrance, he spotted Yugi smiling as he signed autographs for a group of young fans.

Violet orbs locked onto him, and Seto's face grew warm when Yugi’s gaze slid over to the woman hanging off his arm.

At his quizzical brow, Seto shook himself free, feeling annoyed when Yugi's attention was quickly drawn to an animated brunette.

“Ah, I see you’ve already noticed our other special guest,” his companion noted lightly, seemng pleased with herself. “Yugi Mutou was your rival once, correct?”

In an attempt to feign interest, he made a non-committed sound and listening half-heartedly as she prattled on about being the event manager responsible for Yugi’s invitation, he offered mild hums of acknowledgement.

Being rude to the person in charge didn’t seem like the greatest idea, so he fought the urge to brush her off, keeping a careful watch of Yugi while she talked about herself.

“So you run your own company, right? What’s that like?”

“Busy,” he grumbled disinterestedly.

Yugi was laughing with the brunette from earlier who’d thrown his arm around him like they were best friends.

He stared transfixed at the hand, hating how familiar they seemed with each other.

“Mr Kaiba? Did you hear what I just said?”

Seeing Yugi leave the overly-friendly brunette, he excused himself and headed towards the men's bathroom.

In a few long-legged strides, he beat him to the door, blocking the entrance.

“Kaiba!” Yugi’s eyes widened like a startled deer.

This was more the face he remembered.

It felt like balance had finally been restored to the world.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he mused, getting straight to the point.

Yugi winced apologetically, not meeting his eyes. “I’ve been kinda busy lately, don’t take it personally.”

“But it is personal,” he insisted, not budging. “You were the one who came up with the idea – and now you’re being a coward about facing me after.”

“I never said it was a good idea,” Yugi hissed, eyes narrowed on the door behind him. “Tequila leads to bad decisions. I thought you might’ve been the more sensible one in that situation.”

Seto froze, remembering how Yugi swayed after those shots.

Maybe he wasn’t as sober as he’d seemed. 

Maybe he regretted his decision entirely.

He dragged a hand over his face, rubbing away the guilt-laden thoughts. “So, what? You just expect us to ignore each other now?”

"If you think you can manage it.” Yugi looked at him properly this time, a small glimmer of amusement appearing behind his eyes.

“Is that supposed to be a challenge?” 

“More like a trap,” he answered coyly.

Half-lidded eyes glittered with mirth as the weight of his challenge began to sink in.

If he won, Yugi would get his wish to continue ignoring each other. But if he lost – well - losing wasn’t really an option for Kaiba.

“Fine, I’ll play your little game tonight,” he muttered. “But at some point, you’re going to have to face me about this,” he warned, letting him past.

They didn’t acknowledge each other again after that: not during dinner when their tables were adjacent to each other, and not through the thank you speeches given in their honour.

Instead, Seto kept finding reasons to flick his eyes over to the brown-haired sycophant hanging on to Yugi’s every word.

It wasn’t breaking any rules if he watched the people Yugi talked to.

“The bar’s closing soon,” Rei announced, interrupting his thoughts.

She’d clung to his side like a stubborn stain all night.

“Do you want to go for more drinks after?”

He shook his head.

“I have an appointment later,” he lied dully. 

Confusion knotted between her brows.

“With who?” she pouted, sounding like a put-out child. 

_Literally anyone else._

He looked around for a means of escape and found Yugi with that damned brunette.

The two of them were heading for the exit together, and an unexpected spike of panic jumped in his chest. 

“With Yugi Mutou,” he blurted confidently, brushing past her as though he hadn’t just said the first name that came into his head. 

No matter how disinterested he’d tried to appear, she just couldn’t take a hint.

“Are the two of you having a duel?” she asked excitedly, scampering to catch up.

He grabbed Yugi’s arm with the hope that he could convey the message to play along.

“I’m afraid it’s a strictly private duel between old rivals,” he countered, and Yugi's glance between them was suspiciously sly.

“A duel? But we duelled already on Saturday night." He smiled so sweetly that Kaiba nearly choked on his own tongue.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he dug his fingers into Yugi’s shirt hard enough to leave bruises.

“I think you'll find you owe me a rematch,” he snarled between clenched teeth.

Something dark flickered across Yugi’s face. He peeled his fingers back, somehow managing to look both serious and amused at the same time.

“I don’t offer rematches to anyone anymore,” he purred softly, and Seto didn't even bother hiding the roll of his eyes, scoffing dismissively.

He hadn't been thinking of _that_ kind of rematch. He just needed an excuse to get away from this woman and stop Yugi from leaving at the same time. 

“What’s the matter Yugi, scared you won’t measure up?” he bit out. Because Seto Kaiba couldn’t just _accept_ a duel refusal.

He knew he’d touched a nerve when Yugi’s gaze sharpened into violet shards of glass.

It made warmth pool in the bottom of his stomach and his legs suddenly turned weak.

“You think I’m afraid to duel you?”

“I know you are,” he prodded, enjoying the steely determination that hardened the softness around his face.

“Well then," Yugi glared. "I guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong.” 

Seto tried not to reveal how pleased he was when he stomped away irritably. 

Provoking him had worked much better than expected.

Disappointed faces abandoned, he threw the brunette a triumphant smirk over his shoulder and followed Yugi out the door.

“Mr Kaiba, wait!” Rei called after him. “If I give you my number, do you want to go out for dinner sometime?”

He pretended not to hear her.

Like hell he wanted to sit through another meal with that woman.   
  
___________

Outside, Yugi waited for him with his arms folded. He felt like his confidence was just about to run out.

Kaiba seemed insistent on speaking with him tonight, and his brain did not know how to compute that information.

He felt like he couldn’t function properly around the CEO. Not while he was awake and glaring at him as though nothing had even happened between the two of them.

Levelling Kaiba with a cool gaze, he tried to squash the wriggle of nerves inside his stomach.

“We’ll have to stop at mine for my deck.”

“Do you really want to embarrass yourself?” The CEO opened the limo door for him to slide in. “I was just looking for an excuse to leave." 

Yugi’s scowled at the dismissive jibe.

He knew he’d been baited into leaving, but a small part of him wanted to prove himself to Kaiba.

Prove that he was worthy of the respect Atem had always given him.

But he should’ve known better.

He’d never quite measure up in his eyes.

He never measured up in a lot of people’s eyes.

Only Atem had seen him as his equal.

Swallowing the lump of bitterness in his throat, he grimaced. “I’m not the one about to lose – again,” he reminded him.

“What happened back there wasn’t a real loss, and you know it,” Kaiba snorted. “Besides, it was worth it just to get away from that woman.”

All he wanted was for Kaiba to ignore him forever.

It wasn’t too much to ask for.

The CEO barely acknowledged him as himself most of the time anyway.

He was a _vessel_.

Now, all of a sudden, he couldn’t seem to get _off_ the brunette’s radar. No matter how hard he tried.

“Since when do you need my help to brush someone off?” he muttered primly, searching for the last threads of his patience.

“I don’t,” Kaiba stated matter-of-factly.

Feeling sharp, blue eyes studying him, Yugi lifted an expectant brow.

“Then why am I here?”

The flash of doubt that flew across Kaiba’s face drew Yugi’s attention. 

"I wanted to ask you something."

"And you couldn't just-"

“Do you regret it?” the CEO asked suddenly.

His lips pressed into a serious frown, and he looked angry when Yugi took a sharp breath, mulling over his answer to the question he’d been asking himself all week.

Did he regret it?

Guilt wormed its way into his stomach, and he shifted awkwardly his seat.

Being with Kaiba felt very much like crossing a line.

If Atem found out what he’d done, he might never forgive him for it.

And the thought covered him in a cold blanket of fear.

After everything he’d done, Atem would probably never look at him the same again.

He used to think of him as his light.

Someone without darkness.

That’s what made it worse, he thought. 

Because another part of him – the wort part - enjoyed being with Kaiba.

Atem had left him alone.

And he wanted to hurt him for it.

He thought he’d be okay with him leaving, but instead, all he felt was this gaping, pit inside him where the other half of his soul should be. 

“No,” he said quietly.

He didn’t regret it.

He was probably too spiteful to be allowed any kind of regret now. That didn’t mean he wanted the walking reminder of his guilt lurking around either though.

Kaiba seemed unconvinced and settled him with a deadpan expression.

“Look, we can go ahead and pretend it never happened for all I care, but I’m not going let you ignore me,” he insisted and paused hesitantly as though trying to find the right words to explain.

“You’re the last piece of him we have left.”

Yugi nodded.

He understood.

Seto didn’t want to lose him too.

He wasn’t ready to.

Because Seto couldn’t let go either.

The sliver of vulnerability that cracked through his icy demeanour made him soften, and Yugi scooted closer, pressing their legs together. 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured gently. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away like that. It wasn't fair”

He was being selfish again. 

It didn’t matter that it was Kaiba.

He of all people knew what it felt like to have someone important walk out of your life.

“I guess I didn’t realise how much you cared,” he teased quietly, trying to lighten the mood.

At Kaiba's sour face, Yugi laughed, letting an easy silence to fall between them.

“It won’t happen again,” he promised earnestly, placing a hand on his thigh.

It was a familiar touch, intending to be nothing more than friendly, but the contact brought an unexpected memory to the surface, and Yugi’s heart stuttered in his chest. 

It was easier to remember how attractive the brunette was when he wasn’t being snarky with his words. He seemed softer somehow. More approachable and human in these quiet moments. 

Teeth dragging over his bottom lip, Yugi watched Kaiba’s gaze drop to his mouth.

The dark look in those blue eyes made him shiver.

Kaiba moved closer, close enough that he could smell the warm spice of his expensive cologne and his insides shifted nervously.

“Good,” Kaiba murmured huskily. “Because you were being an idiot.”

He was vaguely aware that he nodded at this.

Sitting with Kaiba like this was like being surrounded by live wires. The air crackled between them, and he remembered what it was like to be beneath him - crying out as hands gripped his thighs, squeezing them to meet his punishing pace. 

“We're still going to duel,” he whispered, sharing the last coherent thought in his head.

For some reason, it seemed important.

Even after the space between them slowly vanished.

He didn’t know which one of them closed the gap in the end, but just like last week, Yugi found he wanted more.

More skin.

More contact.

He straddled Kaiba’s lap until they were devouring each other, hands sliding over his ass, pulling them even closer together.

“I thought you said this wouldn’t happen again?” Kai gasped between kisses.

Yugi moaned in response, tugging a fistful of hair back to kiss beneath his jawline.

“Since when have you ever taken no as an answer?”

Kaiba grinned wolfishly in response.

One more time couldn’t hurt.

What was one more night of guilt after so many others?

Besides, it wasn’t like Seto Kaiba was about to start catching feelings all of a sudden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated, as always. I'm almost never happy with my work so any comments/criticisms are welcome. I strive for improvement.


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